Mirkwood Reflections

I have thoughts to share. Really I do. But when I start writing them down, I judge every one. That's not interesting. That's not insightful. That's not original. That's not even grammatical. Why am I so hard on my own writing? I read lots of other people's words. I used to read many blogs. Before I was so busy, I spent lots of time reading other people's writing. I read books, magazines, blog posts, Facebook posts - all kinds of things. Most people don't worry very much about their writing, at least from the evidence. I teach writing. My goal is to help students write concisely and correctly. I sometimes feel like a fraud because teaching writing doesn't leave me time for actual writing. But this year is going to be different. I am going to write daily. Why? Well, I can blame NaNoWriMo this past November. My daughter asked me to write her some fanfiction. I'd never written fanfic before, especially not in the Harry Potter wizarding world. I did

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 6/12/2015 Good - Young Adult - 192 pages Audio 5 hr 9 min Ponyboy Curtis is a "Greaser" who ends up caught in a deadly struggle with their rival gang, "The Socs". I may teach this book for a class next year and I wanted to re-read it. I read it years ago as a teen. Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready 6/21/2015 Good - Romance - 415 pages Print Art curator Campbell Stratford accidentally travels back in time to meet 17th century artist Peter Lely. Rated MA for explicit sex. Fluffy read. 

May was CRAZY-BUSY!! Someone is Watching by Joy Fielding 5/10/2015 Good - Fiction - 384 pages Print Private investigator is raped while on the job and afterwards suffers PTSD symptoms while trying to fight her way back to normalcy. Fielding always writes an ending with a twist. This one too. I didn't see it coming. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien 5/26/2015 Good - Fantasy - 381 pages Audio 14:14 The Ring is destroyed and the King is enthroned. Re-read for Book Club. I sadly found I didn't appreciate the series as much as I have in the past. 

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien 4/1/2015 Good - Fantasy - 448 pages,  Audio 16 hrs and 40 mins The 9 members of the Fellowship are divided and the quest to destroy the Ring is continued. Re-read for my book club. I think I've read this 5 times in my life now. Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates 4/4/2015 Excellent - Non-fiction - 304 pages Kindle From breaking out to breaking through, that’s what reading Shakespeare did for Indiana federal prison inmate Larry Newton, who was locked in solitary confinement for more than 10 years. His story is recounted by English professor Bates, who taught the “Shakespeare in Shackles” class that gave Newton, convicted of murder as a teenager, his new lease on life. (Booklist summary) Wow! This was a wonderfully inspiring read. I love seeing what happens when people pour into the lives of others . The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 4/13/2015 Good - Fiction - 336 pages Print “Rachel takes t

Warriors: I Bring the Fire Part V by Carolynn Gockel 2/6/2015 Good Fantasy -  301 page Kindle When tragedy strikes Amy’s beloved mutt Fenrir, and Odin strikes Bohdi’s best friend Steve, they have to work together again. Amy’s knowledge of science, Bohdi’s talents for theft, and both of their survival skills are put to the test. But more than Steve and Fenrir’s lives are at stake. Amy and Bohdi may unlock the key that saves mankind from the gods … or bring about the apocalypse. This series captivated my interest and even though Loki is no longer a central character, I've kept reading. There is one more installment and a short story to finish up the series. I've purchased them but haven't made time to read them yet, partly because I don't want it to be ove r. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 2/14/2015 Excellent Non-fiction - 473 pages Print Telling an unforgettable story of Louis Zamperini’s journey into ex

Just realized I haven't posted December's reads! Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 12/8/2014 Good Fiction -  422 pages Print Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears and Nick is the main suspect. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? (adapted from Amazon summary) What to say about Gone Girl without giving spoilers? This is a book that stayed with me, but was oddly unsatisfying. That may have been the way Flynn intended it. I'm not sorry I read it, though.  The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 12/12/2014 Excellent Young Adult - 574 pages Audio  13 hours and 56 minutes RE-READ In 1939 Nazi Germany, young Liesel Meminger lives with her accordion-playing foster father and rough-talking foster mother... and the Jewish man hidden in the basement. The Book Thief was polarizing at book club. People loved it or hated it. No middle ground. I have read it twice and love the beauty of the language and I appreciated the voice of the narrator and